The Jewish Master Story:

THE STORY: Exodus 6:2‐17:16 Parshat Va'era: the Leap of Leadership • God reminds Moses about the covenant he made with the forefathers and makes known that redemption is near. Moses speaks to the children of Israel, but they do not listen to him. • Moses is hesitant in his success in leadership. • The connection between Aaron's family and Moses' family‐ the tribe of Levi. • Moses and Aaron go before Pharaoh with their "signs" • 7 of the 10 plagues are brought: o Blood o Pestilence o Frogs o Boils o Vermin o Hail o Wild Beasts Parshat Bo: Memory sustains the future • The continuation of the plagues that God brings upon Egypt: o Locusts o Darkness o Slaying of the first born. • The Pesach sacrifice in Egypt: The children of Israel were commanded to take a lamb and slaughter it on the 14th day of Nisan as a sign upon their doorposts. On this same day God will slaughter the first born Egyptians. • The commandment of Pesach to be celebrated throughout generations on the 15th day of Nisan as a holiday for God, during which 7 days no leaven will be eaten, seen or found in your house. • Moses and Aaron teach the nation of Israel about the commandments of God with regard to the . • The slaying of the first born: on this night all the first born Egyptian males are killed, after which Pharaoh agrees to let the Israelites leave, and the Israelites prepare for . • The Israelites leave Egypt on that very day. • The laws of the Pesach sacrifice for generations to come. • Laws of the sanctification of the first born boys to God. • The commandment to tell the story of Pesach, and the commandment for Tefillin of the head and the arm‐ to remember the exodus from Egypt. • Moses commands the nation on the commandments of the first born and the telling of the story of the exodus. Parshat Beshalach: Courage to sing • After the children of Israel leave Egypt, they go with Moses through the wilderness. • The Egyptians run after the Israelites and approach them on the bank of the Sea of Reeds‐ the Children of Israel are afraid and Moses tries to harden their spirits. • God thanks Moses for saving the people and they cross the sea on dry land. • The splitting of the sea‐ the Children of Israel pass freely and the Egyptians are struck down by the sea. • And So Moses sang: The song of the sea, of praises and Thanksgiving to God. • The events that take place for the Children of Israel between the Sea of Reeds and Mount Sinai. o The giving of Manna and quail‐ specific direction regarding safety and the sanctification of the amounts for Shabbat. o The miracle of the drawing of water from the rock. o The war with the nation of Amalek.

Rabbi Eve Posen Congregation Neveh Shalom, Portland, OR [email protected] OBR Introduction to Judaism Class FOODS

hameitz) (flour, food or drink made from the prohibited species of) חמץ The prohibits the ownership of (hameitz) חמץ leavened grain: , , , or ) during Pesah.13 Ideally we burn or remove all from our premises which may be effected by donations to a local food pantry.

In some cases, however, this would cause prohibitive financial loss. In such cases, we arrange for the sale of :hameitz) to a non-Jew and its repurchase after Pesah) חמץ the

mekhirat hameitz – the sale of hameitz) is accomplished by appointing) מכירת חמץ an agent, usually one’s rabbi to handle the sale. This must be considered a valid and legal transfer of ownership and thus the items sold must be separated and stored away from all other foods and supplies. This means that non-Passover dishes, pots, utensils and (hameitz) חמץ hameitz) food that have been sold as part of the selling of one’s) חמץ should be separated, covered or locked away to prevent accidental use.

At the end of the holiday, the agent arranges to repurchase the items on behalf of the hameitz) at that time is again permitted. One must wait until one is) חמץ owner, since the hameitz) was not) חמץ sure the repurchase has been done. If ownership of the hameitz) remains prohibited after) חמץ transferred before the holiday, the use of any such hameitz she-avar alav ha-Pesah) and any such products – חמץ שעבר עליו הפסח) the holiday should be given away to a non-Jewish food pantry.

Prohibited foods

hameitz) during Pesah, and since many common foods contain) חמץ Since the Torah prohibits the eating of .hameitz), guidance is necessary when shopping and preparing for Pesah) חמץ some

:hameitz) include the following – חמץ) Prohibited foods

 biscuits  crackers  cakes  leavened bread  coffees containing cereal derivatives  pasta

חמץ These are foods that are generally made with wheat, barley, oats, spelt or rye (grains that can become (hameitz)). Any food containing these grains or derivatives of these grains must be certified kosher for Pesah. Flavorings in foodstuffs are often derived from alcohol produced from one of these grains which would .hameitz). Such products also need Pesah supervision) חמץ render that food

7 תשע"ח Pesah Guide

Kitniyot – קטניות

Until the fall of 2015, the CJLS position on kitniyot (for Ashkenazim) has followed that of the longstanding Ashkenazi of refraining from eating them. These foods included: , corn, millet, , , soy, and some other plant based foods like , buckwheat and sesame seeds. The one exception was an approved permission of peanuts and peanut oil, provided said items have proper year-round kosher certification and do not contain hameitz ingredients. 14

In the fall of 2015 the CJLS passed two responsa which permit the consumption of kitniyot for Ashkenazim. To fully understand their positions, which differ in their argumentation, please see:  David Golinkin, "Rice, beans and kitniyot on Pesah - are they really forbidden?" OH 453:1.2015a  Amy Levin and Avram Israel Reisner, "A Teshuvah Permitting Ashkenzaim to Eat Kitniyot on Pesah" 453:1.2015b This permission does not come without a few caveats that do appear in the body of the papers. The first is that the CJLS affirms that this new position does not constitute an instruction to consume kitniyot during Pesah, but rather a halakhic basis and guideline for those who choose to do so. We recognize that while some individuals, communities, and institutions will utilize this new ruling, others may choose not to do so. Both are equally legitimate and derekh eretz should be the guiding value with which we hold our communal and interpersonal conversations around this topic. We encourage all decision-making parties to be transparent in their policies and menus, as well as sensitive to the spiritual and dietary needs of others. For those who do avail themselves of this ruling, it is important to note the following specific guidance, cited in the p’sak halakhah of the responsum by Rabbis Amy Levin and Avram Reisner:

1) Fresh corn on the cob and fresh beans (like lima beans in their pods) may be purchased before and during Pesah, that is, treated like any other fresh vegetable. 2) Dried kitniyot (, rice and corn) can be purchased bagged or in boxes and then sifted or sorted before Pesah. These should ideally not be purchased in bulk from bins because of the concern that the bin might previously have been used for hameitz, and a few grains of hameitz might be mixed in. In any case, one should inspect these before Pesah and discard any pieces of hameitz. If one did not inspect the rice or dried beans before Pesah, one should remove pieces of hameitz found in the package on Pesah, discarding those, and the kitniyot themselves remain permissible. 3) Kitniyot in cans may only be purchased with Pesah certification since the canning process has certain related hameitz concerns, and may be purchased on Pesah. 4) Frozen raw kitniyot (corn, edamame [soy beans], etc.): One may purchase bags of frozen non- hekhshered kitniyot before Pesah provided that one can either absolutely determine that no shared equipment was used or one is careful to inspect the contents before Pesah and discard any pieces hameitz). Even if one did not inspect the vegetables before Pesah, if one can remove pieces חמץ of of (hameitz) found in the package on Pesah, the vegetables themselves are permissible. 5) Processed foods, including tofu, although containing no listed hameitz, continue to require Pesah certification due to the possibility of admixtures of hameitz during production.

8 תשע"ח Pesah Guide

6) Even those who continue to observe the Ashkenazic custom of eschewing kitniyot during Pesah may eat from Pesah dishes, utensils and cooking vessels that have come into contact with kitniyot .may consume kitniyot derivatives like oil that have a KP hekhsher )מי קטניות(

Permitted Foods

hameitz), and is processed on machines used) חמץ An item that is kosher all year round, that is made with no only for that item and nothing else (such as unflavored pure coffee) may be used with no special Pesah supervision. As we learn more about the processing of foods and the ingredients they contain, relying on the ,hekhsher) may be problematic.15 Wherever possible) הכשר of a product for Pesah without a Passover hekhsher) from a reliable source. Since) הכשר (”kasher l’Pesah“) ”כשר לפסח“ processed foods ought to have a that is not always possible, however, our guidelines reflect some alternatives that are acceptable.

hekhsher) must have a label that is) הכשר (”kasher l’Pesah“) ”כשר לפסח“ Any food that you purchase with a integral to the package and it should have the name of a recognizable, living supervising Rabbi or creditable kosher supervision agency if possible. If the label is not integral to the package or if there are questions regarding the labeling, the item should not be used without consulting a Rabbi.

NO PESAH HEKHSHER REQUIRED

:hekhsher) before or during Pesah) הכשר Products which may be purchased without a Pesah

 baking soda  pure black, green, or white tea leaves  bicarbonate of soda  unflavored tea bags  eggs  unflavored regular coffee  fresh fruits and vegetables  olive oil (extra-virgin only)  fresh or frozen kosher meat (other than  whole or gutted fresh fish chopped meat)  whole or half pecans (not pieces)  Nestea (regular and decaffeinated)  whole (unground) spices and nuts

NO PESAH HEKHSHER REQUIRED IF PURCHASED BEFORE PESAH

hekhsher) before Pesah. If bought during Pesah) הכשר Products which may only be purchased without a Pesah :(hekhsher) הכשר they require a Pesah

 all pure fruit juices  pure white sugar (no additives)  filleted fish  quinoa (with nothing mixed in)*  frozen fruit (no additives)  white milk  non-iodized salt  Some products sold by Equal Exchange Fair Trade Chocolate 16

9 תשע"ח Pesah Guide

The Jewish Master Story: Passover

The Seder (Order):

Haggadah: The book used to navigate through the seder ritual. The name literally means to tell as the book contains the story of the Israelite people and their journey to freedom. ase Kadesh This is the first step of the seder, and the first glass of wine. This ritual helps us sanctify our time. It is traditional to stand for Kiddush, and this also shows that we are ready to engage in our ritual.

.jru Urchatz Urchatz is the first time we wash our hands at the seder. This is a ritual hand washing, and we do not recite a blessing because water can transfer impurities, and fruits and vegetables dipped in water can transfer the impurity. This is one moment where we are actually modeling what Jewish living was like during the early rabbinic period.

Xprf Karpas is the first brachah, blessing that we say over food at the seder. We say the blessing traditionally over a green vegetable that grows from the ground, but potatoes and other non‐green root vegetables are acceptable. We dip the green vegetables into salt water. The vegetables signify spring and Passover as the historic rebirth of Israel out of Egypt, and the rebirth of nature renewed each spring. The salt water represents the tears of the slaves in Egypt.

NOTE: Instead of waiting to serve the whole meal at Shulchan Orech, offer a salad course after karpas so your guests' tummies don't start to rumble.

Gjh Yachatz Yachatz brings us to the most recognizable food of the holiday, matzoh. On a traditional Shabbat table we have 2 challot to represent the double portion of food God gave the Israelites. On the seder table we have 3 matzot covered on our table. The matzah represents the unleavened bread the Israelites ate as they left Egypt because the dough did not have time to rise. The 3 matzot represent Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, or the 3 types of thanksgiving offerings mentioned in the Torah.

As part of yachatz, we are to break the middle matzah into two pieces. One piece serves as the Afikomen which we eat later in the seder. The broken matzah both reminds us of the brokenness of poverty and the splitting of the sea as the Israelites worked toward freedom.

Shdn Magid Magid, the telling of the story is the bulk of the seder, and the longest portion. The story is our history, the memory of our past that ties us to generations that have come before us and to those that come after us. At Magid, we tell our own story, each of us becomes the storyteller. Magid is made up of many parts.

Rabbi Eve Posen Congregation Neveh Shalom, Portland, OR [email protected] OBR Introduction to Judaism Class The Jewish Master Story: Passover

HaLachmah: We make a statement that we are eating the bread of affliction. We open our doors and welcome in all who are hungry. The Four Questions: These are really 4 observations. The youngest child begins to ask these questions. ~~~ The Four Children: Reading about the four children reminds us that each child is different and the way that we answer questions and tell them about our own history needs to be at their own level. ~~~ The Ten Plagues: This is the list of the 10 plagues that God sent to the Egyptians as Moshe asked for the Israelites to go free. The tradition is to take a drop of wine out of your glass for each plague and then not to lick your finger or spoon. This is one way that we lessen our joy when others are hurt because of us. ~~~ The Second Cup of Wine: This cup is the cup of redemption. We drink this cup as we remember the blessing that we were given to be free.

Vmjr Rachtzah Rachtzah is the second time we wash our hands at the seder. This time we say the blessing as we are getting ready to eat. We ask ourselves how we have cleansed ourselves in our preparation for Pesach 6 and how we are approaching this moment in a different way than we may have in the past.

NOTE: It is customary not to speak between washing your hands and saying HaMotzi so that the two actions can be linked as one. Speaking about the bread or matzoh is o.k.

Vmn thmun Motzi Matzah During motzi matzoh we are finally getting closer to the meal. As with any meal, we are required to say a blessing before we eat our food so that we can express our gratitude to God and to the farmers who grew the food. We say HaMotzi even though we will not be eating bread so that we can mark the distinction. This time may be used pause and note that even in our freedom, we must remember our past.

rurn Maror is the section where we eat bitter herbs to remind us of the bitterness of the slavery in Egypt. This is also a time when we might think about how we can let go of the bitterness that accompanies us through the year. Just as we let go of our hametz in preparation for Pesach, so too we let go of our bitterness if we are to emerge from the seder free and open minded.

Rabbi Eve Posen Congregation Neveh Shalom, Portland, OR [email protected] OBR Introduction to Judaism Class The Jewish Master Story: Passover lruf Korech Korech is the final act before the festive meal. During korech we make what is known as the Hillel sandwich when we put some maror and together on a piece of matzoh. This mixes the sweet and the bitter together and helps us to see that our years are often filled with both, and when we come together we can help one another find balance. lrutijkua Shulchan Orech This is the meal. Enjoy this time to further conversations that have already started at your seder. This is also a great time to throw in a game or two like Passover Trivia, Wheel of Freedom or any other game you come up with. iupm Tzafun Tzafun represents the eating of the Afikomen. Before this part of the seder can be completed, the Afikomen must be brought back to the table unbroken. The Afikomen should be distributed among all of your seder participants and is the last food item that you eat at the seder. lrc Barech Barech is the step of the seder where we recite Birkat HaMazon, the blessing after a meal in which we thank God for our freedom, the food that we've eaten and the land in which the food was grown. Saying this series of brachot, blessings, is yet another way in which we are able to show our freedom. ~~~ After Birkat HaMazon, we drink the third cup of wine, the cup that signifies our blessings in the life that we lead. ~~~ Following the third cup of wine, we pause for Elijah's cup. Some have a custom of pouring a drop from each glass of wine or grape juice on the table into Elijah's cup so that each person at the seder has contributed to this moment. kkv Hallel Hallel is the point in the seder where we turn our attention to praises of God for the miracle of freedom from Egypt and that we are still present in our world today. Pick a song or two from the additional songs below to add to your praises and increase the joy of the seder. vmrhb Nirtzah Nirtzah is the conclusion of the seder. We sing L'shanah HaBa'ah, Next Year in Jerusalem, as we look forward to another year of freedom, celebration and growth together.

Rabbi Eve Posen Congregation Neveh Shalom, Portland, OR [email protected] OBR Introduction to Judaism Class